No matter how much I enjoy that lovely summer weather, every evening I still walk a bit hesitantly to our bedroom... Because this place has apparently been chosen by the mosquito community as ‘the place to be’ during the Dutch summer. And although I would normally consider this designation a huge compliment, I am now just panicking and looking for tools to kick that community out of my house ASAP. Now I want to stay as far away as possible from the Deet sprays and heavy anti-mosquito plugs, especially with the thought that that little one will also be lying here soon. Luckily, my girlfriend came up with this child-friendly spray that is completely natural (you could even eat it!) and also smells wonderful. Together with the anti-mosquito lamp with blue UV light, I hope this is the success formula to significantly downsize that guest list for our bedroom. To be continued!

Now that everyone in the city is craving a bit of coolness, the W hotel is answering our prayers with the opening of the WET Deck! With a beautiful view of the Dam, Manuel Broekman opened the lovely pool as the official lifeguard for this season, and everyone can enjoy the ultimate summer feeling in the heart of Amsterdam with a glass of bubbles (or in my case, a glass of lemonade...) while relaxing. Every second Saturday of the next three months, you can join a real ‘Baywatch Pool Party’, or if you want to work off those cocktails, you can participate in the six-week boot camp program led by Olivia Cooney. Although the first option sounds much more attractive, I might go for the boot camp to get that after-pregnancy body back in shape. First, let's safely bring that little one into the world...

Now that I only have five weeks to go, my body is starting to show some quirks. Cramps in my legs, a nice pain in my lower abdomen from time to time, and in the evenings I can barely sit upright on a chair because of back pain. So I try to take it a bit easier during the day by resting more and not going out like a pack mule. Which definitely has its advantages; my husband is obliged to do the grocery shopping, and I can fully legitimize taking the car for a ten-minute drive. Plus, a new search for a cute handbag that fits my essentials instead of those suitcases I usually drag around. This beautiful piece from Fred de la Bretoniere has become my best friend and has proven that I can really survive the day without all the tubes and trinkets I normally carry but secretly hardly touch...

As if we don't find the arrival of a little one enough, we decided to build a rooftop terrace at the last minute. I know, raise the pressure, but the thought that we will only have to go up a staircase to sit outside together makes the extra stress more than worth it. So I have been scouring the internet for beautiful garden furniture over the past few weeks, which is quite challenging, especially if you want a nice designer lounge sofa with water-resistant cushions. And then my prayers were answered: suddenly ‘Bubalou’ popped up on my Google screen: a fantastic outdoor sofa made entirely of waterproof fabric. So no hauling cushions around, a beautiful design that I would love to place in my living room, and it also comes from Dutch origin! Another nice plus: the fabric is antibacterial, so bring on the leaking milk bottles and drooling mouths on that sofa. Or when mama finally gets to have her first glass of bubbles, but still has that pregnancy clumsiness in her fingers...